Hockey
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/18/2015
October 18, 2015
We continue the Stretch Run of the 2015 high school football season while starting exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We move on to Week Eight of the high school football season with 27 WPIAL weekend contests starting Friday night with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding later that night with the WPIAL Football Scoreboard Show.PIHL Notebook – Class AA Preview
October 12, 2015
Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook” as we continue our full team-by-team preview. Last week we took you inside every team in Class AAA. This week it’s time for Class AA to take center stage.PIHL Notebook – Class AAA Preview
October 5, 2015
Welcome to “PIHL Notebook” and our annual season preview. Over the next four Monday’s, we will provide thumbnail sketches of all 57 PIHL teams to make sure local high school hockey fans are ready when the puck drops Monday night! And as we did last year, we will provide exclusive audio and video coverage of the “PIHL Premiere” at the brand new UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. Do not miss this special event before our regular hockey coverage picks up in December. Faceoff times are 6:00 for North Hills and Mars in Class AA, followed at 8:00 by North Allegheny and Pine-Richland in Class AAA.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/04/2015
October 4, 2015
The first full week of October is a busy one with a full plate of fall sports along with a side dish of winter high school sports action this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We move on to Week Six of the high school football season with 30 WPIAL weekend contests starting Friday night with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding later that night with the WPIAL Football Scoreboard Show.
2015 Positive Athlete Awards
May 19, 2015
2015 Positive Athlete Awards On Wednesday, May 13th, 27 Western PA High School students were recognized at the John Heinz History Center by Hines Ward as “Positive Athletes” . These athletes were nominated by coaches, teachers, administrators, parents, and friends for their ability to meet the following criteria in their day-to day lives as athletes, students and members of their communities.PIHL Notebook – 2015 MSA SPORTS ALL-ICERS
March 23, 2015
Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. With the 2015 Penguins and Pennsylvania Cup champions crowned, there is just one more order of business we must attend to. It’s time once again to unveil the annual “All Icers” teams as voted on by the MSA Sports Network staff. This year, we take a different approach. Rather than name all-inclusive first and second teams, we have selected one group of six players for Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Division II. This gives more kids a chance to be recognized, which is the whole point of this exercise after all. So, let’s light the lamp on the final 2014-15 edition of “PIHL Notebook.”HG Prep Takes a Bite Out of Big Macs, Win PA Cup AAA Title
March 21, 2015
In the East-West rubber match of the 2015 Pennsylvania Cup Hockey Championships, Flyers Cup Champion Holy Ghost Prep dropped Penguins Cup Champion Canon-McMillan, 6-4, in the AAA title game on Saturday evening at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena. A big second period lifted the Firebirds to the victory over the Big Macs, who last appeared in the State Championship in 2010, when they fell to Cardinal O’Hara.
Erie Cathedral Prep Wins Third PA Cup With 3-1 Win Over Downingtown East
“Come early, cheer loud” was the motto for the Erie Cathedral Prep Ramblers and, on Saturday at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena, their fans proved it and their players thanked them for it. Penguins Cup Champion Cathedral Prep (21-2-0), fueled by a large, orange clad student cheering section, edged out a 3-1 win over Flyers Cup Champion Downingtown East in the Pennsylvania Cup Class AA Championship Game.
Big Third Period Lifts Bayard-Rustin Past Mars in PA Cup Class A Finals
In the first of three Pennsylvania Cup Championships at Pegula Ice Arena in State College, the Flyers Cup Champion Bayard Rustin Golden Knights (22-1-4) overcame a furious start and lopsided shooting margin by the Penguins Cup Champion Mars Fighting Planets (20-5-1), scoring the final four goals of the game and prevailing 5-2. The win for Bayard Rustin is their third State Championship Game victory in program history and second in a row, as the Knights defeated Quaker Valley 5-2 in last year’s Championship game.PIHL Playoff Recaps for Monday, March 16th
March 17, 2015
The Final Four teams from the PIHL's Class B and Class C went head-to-head Monday in the PIHL Division II Semifinals. in the end, Carrick remained undefeated while 2nd-seed Indiana is title game bound after both the Cougars and Little Indians were on the winning side of 4-2 results. Here are summaries from both games played at the Bladerunners in Warrendale on Monday. A special thanks to Adam Hoerner and Cory Campano for their help on these recaps. PIHL DIVISION II Semifinals:Indiana Win First Ever 2015 PIHL Division II Hockey Championship
March 16, 2015
In previous years, it was called the PIHL Open Class high school hockey playoffs. Now it is titled the PIHL Division II hockey postseason for teams from this years Class B and Class C. The first ever champion was crowned Thursday at the Robert Morris University Sports Complex on Neville Island. It was there that Indiana handed Carrick the Cougars first loss of the 2014-2015 season to secure the schools first ever high school hockey golden crown. Here are all of the results from the 2015 PIHL Division II Hockey Playoffs. Any results marked with (MSA) after it can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. PIHL DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:PIHL Notebook – 03/16/2015
Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. With the 2015 Penguins Cup champions crowned, there is still more to do. Since we honored the three “pure” classifications with semifinal preview capsules last week, it’s only fair we give the same treatment to the fine folks in Division II. Plus, we have a brief look at the PA Cup Finals being played this weekend in State College, though at present we only know two out of the three final matchups. So, let’s light the lamp on this special postseason edition of “PIHL Notebook.” PIHL DIVISION II SEMIFINALS:
Canon-McMillan, Cathedral Prep & Mars Win 2015 PIHL Penguins Cup Titles
March 15, 2015
It took four goals for Canon-McMillan, Erie Cathedral Prep and Mars to be crowned new champions in the PIHL. All three winning teams at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh scored four goals and skated away with Penguins Cup championships. All three will now represent the west in the three Pennsylvania Cup state championship games on Saturday, March 21st at Penn State. Here are ALL the final results from the 2015 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs. All games marked with (MSA) afterward can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. 2015 PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Canon-McMillan Big Macs 4 - Butler Golden Tornado 0 (MSA)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/15/2015
After a loooong four months, the winter high school sports season is finally coming to a golden end this week on the MSA Sports Network.
Mars Dethrones Three-Time Champ Quaker Valley 4-2
Mars turned in an out-of-this-world performance in dethroning the three-time defending champion Quaker Valley 4-2 to capture the Class A Penguins Cup Championship at Consol Energy Center. {Left: Mars didn't miss much Saturday, but this third period shot goes sailing wide of the Quaker Valley cage}
Canon-McMillan Blanks Butler 4-0 to Win Penguins Cup AAA Championship
March 14, 2015
Sometimes the most unlikely heroes are found in championship games and the Class AAA PIHL Championship game was no exception. Austin Czartorski scored two goals in ten seconds to help the Canon-McMillan Big Macs to their second championship with a 4-0 victory over the Butler Golden Tornados at Consol Energy Center. {Left: Austin Czartorki's two goals 10 second apart late in second was a huge key to Big Macs second Penguins Cup in five years}
Cathedral Prep Rambles to AA Pens Cup Crown
A lot has happened in 17 years. 1997 was the second year of the second term for President Clinton, the movie Titanic won 11 Oscars, a gallon of gas was $1.22 and the price of a movie ticket was $4.59. 1997 was also the last time Erie Cathedral Prep won a Penguins Cup high school hockey championship, until Saturday. {Left: Erie Cathedral Prep goalie Jacob Kucharski keeps the puck out despite heavy traffic in front in leading Ramblers to 2015 Penguins Cup Class AA crown} The Ramblers got clutch goaltending from Jacob Kucharski and a pair of goals from Trevor Faulkner to beat the Armstrong RiverHawks 3-1 Saturday at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh to win the 2015 PIHL Class AA Penguins Cup Championship.
PIHL Playoff Recaps for Wednesday, March 11th
March 12, 2015
A fantastic three days of Final Four high school hockey at the Robert Morris University Sports Complex on Neville Island came to an end Wednesday with a pair of overtime thrillers. While the two favorites prevailed, it was anything but easy in clinching another trip to the PIHL Penguins Cup Finals for both Quaker Valley and Mars. Here are recaps from those two games as well as the fourth and final Division II Quarterfinals playoff game, A special thanks to Bob Orkwis, Josh Rowntree and Sean Meyers for their help on these recaps. {Above: Connor Quinn scores overtime game winner to lift Quaker Valley over Hempfield Wednesday in a Class A Semifinals game. Special thanks to David Hague for the photo} PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS A Semifinals:PIHL Playoff Recaps for Tuesday, March 10th
March 11, 2015
Another defending champion has bit the dust in the PIHL Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs. It was not a good day for high-seeds as top-seed North Allegheny lost by seven and defending champion Peters Township was knocked out by the lowest seed still alive in #6 Butler. Here are recaps from the two Class AAA Semifinals in the Penguins Cup playoffs along with another Quarterfinals game in the PIHL Division II postseason. A special thanks to Sean Meyers, Sam Hall and Mike Azadian for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Semifinals:PIHL Playoff Recaps for Monday, March 9th
March 9, 2015
The curtain rose on the second week of the high school hockey playoffs with the first of three straight nights of Penguins Cup Semifinals action from the RMU Sports Complex with Class AA claiming the spotlight on Monday. Plus a pair of Quarterfinals contest in the PIHL Division II Playoffs. Here are the recaps from all four contests. A special thanks goes out to Bob Orkwis, Josh Rowntree, Steve Nagler and Mike Azadian for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AA Semifinals:
